Nora Lewis of LIC Partnership testifies in support of Intro 578
Nora Lewis of the Long Island City Partnership urges support for reforming the IBZ Boundary Commission, noting IBZs support 500,000 well-paid jobs. She describes opportunities to co-locate housing with light manufacturing in parts of the LIC IBZ and emphasizes the need for local voices in boundary decisions.
Great.
And yeah, just to echo agreement with everything that Lacey and Leah have just shared.
Good afternoon, Chair Thomas Henry and members of the council.
My name is Nora Lewis, and I'm the business assistance manager at the Long Island City Partnership, the local nonprofit economic development organization serving Long Island.
As the industrial business service provider for Western Queens, we manage both the LIC Business Improvement District and Industrial Business Zone.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
I'm here to urge the Council to support the reform of the Industrial Business Zone Boundary Commission.
IBZs are crucial to preserving the city's industrial sector and the 500,000 well-paid jobs it supports, particularly for New Yorkers who are immigrants, people of color, and do not have a college degree.
The industrial and manufacturing work done in IBZs is also critical to sustaining key supply chains and a wide network of small businesses across the five boroughs.
As the city's 21 IBZs contend with development pressures, there is a need to ensure the industrial sector continues to have the space, steady workforce, and legislative support to flourish.
At the same time, there are portions of the LIC IBZ where there is an opportunity to co-locate housing with light manufacturing uses without displacement.
This new IBZ model could create a more connected neighborhood in LIC, particularly surrounding Queensbridge houses.
As every IBZ has nuances and different needs, it's important to have local voices involved in this important decision-making.
Expanding membership of the IBZ Boundary Commission, emphasizing transparency, and reaffirming the comprehensive criteria Commission members must consider are paramount to this preservation and strengthening of the industrial sector, while also contending with
ambitious housing goals laid out by the city.
We urge the council to support this legislation to ensure New York City remains industrial.
New York City retains industrial businesses and fosters future growth.
Thank you for your time.